International religious liberty a rare example of bipartisan agreement

WASHINGTON—Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Washington, D.C., may not agree on much, but international religious liberty remains one issue that draws bipartisan support, according to the International Religious Freedom Scorecard released by the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative.

Randel Everett “Results in this scorecard demonstrate that religious freedom issues can transcend the partisan divide,” said Randel Everett, president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and former executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. 

“International religious freedom issues are growing in urgency and importance worldwide. The purposes of the scorecard are to help increase congressional awareness of international religious freedom issues, to encourage legislators to take bold action in support of this cause and to laud the work of congressional religious freedom champions to the public.”

The human rights organization examined the voting records of U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives on bills, resolutions and amendments related to international religious liberty issues, as well as relevant caucus work.

The scorecard assigned a letter grade—“A+” to “F”—based on the number of items each legislator supported, scoring 25 items in the House and 14 in the Senate. Primary sponsors and co-sponsors of key legislation and chairs or co-chairs of relevant caucuses received extra credit.

Of the 39 legislators who scored an “A,” 44 percent were Democrats and 56 percent were Republicans.

Elijah Brown “At a time of intensified partisanship, it is critical to recognize that members across the aisle continue to join together in support of many around the world whose deeply held convictions of conscience leave them vulnerable to physical assaults and killings, arrests and detentions, and ongoing discrimination in employment, education and housing,” said Elijah Brown, executive vice president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative.

The scorecard revealed “coast-to-coast support” for international religious freedom, with supporters drawn from a variety of faith traditions and religious affiliations, Brown noted.

However, the scorecard showed room for improvement, he added. One out of three legislators scored above average, leaving the vast majority with grades that were average or below.

How Texas lawmakers scored

Texas senators varied widely in their scores. Sen. John Cornyn earned a “B,” scoring 11 out of a maximum 35 points. In contrast, Sen. Ted Cruz earned a “D,” scoring just 6 out of 35 points.

The Texas Congressional delegation generally scored in the middle of the pack, with 26 earning a “C” grade.

However, three Texas members of the House of Representatives received an “A” on the scorecard—Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston; Ted Poe, R-Humble; and Randy Weber, R-Friendswood.

Three earned a “B”—Al Green, D-Houston; Mark Veasey, D-Fort Worth; and Pete Sessions, R-Dallas.

No Texas members of Congress received an “F,” but four received a “D”—Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo; Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi; Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio; and Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon.

“Congress can do more to prioritize international religious freedom,” said Brown, a former professor at East Texas Baptist University.

“Few would deny that issues of international religious freedom are growing in urgency around the world. The question often remains one of prioritization. While the scorecard celebrates and recognizes the good work of many on Capitol Hill, each one of us has a role to play. It is vital to remain deeply committed to support religious freedom for all, to maintain thoughtful conversations and carefully crafted bipartisan approaches, and to personally encourage ongoing proactive engagement.”